Geographic Features that Effect Weather
Solar energy
Precipitation
The biggest impact of heat or cold on Earth is the sun.
On days when the sun is covered with clouds the
temperature is cooler.
Humidity
Earth's Rotation
Humidity is the amount of water in the air. Days that have
a lot of humidity feel much warmer than days in which the
humidity is low.
The Earth's rotation gives us night and day. Without
the sun to warm the Earth the land cools
down during the night.
Day
Night
Earth's tilt
Topography (mountain height and slope)
The half of the Earth (called hemisphere) closest to the
sun is having summer while the half of the Earth away
from the sun is having winter.
In mountainous regions the hot air moves up the
slopes during the day and down the slopes at night.
On the eastern side of the mountain range the
weather is dryer.
Elevation
Large Bodies of Water
The higher the elevation the colder and more precipitation Wind coming off large bodies of water are usually full
an area receives.
of moisture. Wind that travels across a body of water
will feel cooler in the summer and warmer in the
winter.
Coast
City
Coastal areas are usually warmer in winter and cooler in
the summer. The cool air off the ocean blows inland
during the day and out to sea at night make the
temperatures milder that inland.
The air above large cities is often warmer than the
surrounding area.
Wind
Wind coming from the north is usually colder than wind
coming from the south.